Millennials do not like capitalism
WASHINGTON (CNN) — In the year 2017, capitalism still reigns supreme as the main form of US economy and many people are sick of being slapped by the Invisible Hand. The Millennial Generation, specifically, is fed up with traditional right-wing economics and, according to a 2016 poll from Harvard University, 58% of people from the ages of 18 to 29-years-old no longer support the economic system of capitalism. This is understandable seeing how it’s the objectivism and standardization of the Millennial Generation by large corporations that have caused (in part) the widespread depression and feelings of inferiority in the younger generation.
But if so many people are displeased with our current economic format, why can’t it be changed?
Despite the recent rise in the popularity of Communism, Marxism, and Anarchy on Internet forums and political rallies, the voice of the political minority still remains largely quiet despite all the yelling. The fact of the matter is that people would rather keep the traditional two-party system than embrace an economic shift and instead are hushing the voices of said minority parties by striking them down immediately or by blatantly ignoring them.
A good example of this is how House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi handled a tough question asked by a NYU student at a CNN town hall session.
On February 1, 2017, during a CNN town hall session, Trevor Hill, a student at New York University, asked Pelosi the following:“given the dire circumstances our country is in, I wonder if you’d indulge me in a little bit more of a serious question about the future of the Democratic Party.
What I’ve seen on NYU’s campus and what I’ve seen in polls all over — I mean, CNN even, a Harvard University poll last May showed that people between the ages of 18 and 29, not just Democrats, not just leftists, 51 percent of people between 18 and 29 no longer support the system of capitalism.
Now, that’s not me asking you to make a radical statement about capitalism, but I’m just telling you that my experience is that the younger generation is moving left on economic issues and I’ve been so excited to see how Democrats have moved left on social issues. As a gay man, I’ve been very proud to see you fighting for our rights and for — many Democratic leaders fighting for our rights.
But I wonder if there’s anywhere you feel that the Democrats could move farther left to a more populist message, the way the alt-right has sort of captured this populist strain on the right wing, if you think we could make a more stark contrast to right-wing economics?“
In response to all this, Pelosi said “But I have to say we are capitalists. That’s just the way it is,” before going onto to give a lengthy speech about the Little Oil Company CEO Who Could.
This blatant disregard for the concerns of the youth is the exact reason capitalism has fallen out of favor. Capitalism’s set bar of standards has directly affected the Millennial Generation by not only drowning them in debt but also shoving them into retail and white collar jobs where they are forced to conform to whatever rules and orders are given instead of being able to spread their wings and work with a sense of purpose, an act that has lead Millennials to be the most stressed and depression generation of this time period.
Trevor Hill has garnered a rather large following and joined the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) since his confrontation with Nancy Pelosi. Hill speaks on politics and other Socialist matters on his Twitter, @SpawnofGluten.
Trevor Hill’s case illustrates the issue of overall Capitalist disregard for the concerns of the people who live under it. With all that is going on in the United States right now all it would take is the people unionizing to make a major economic change.
I am a Senior in Journalism I who enjoys Journalism and hopes to pursue a career in it.